Arts efforts to help Katrina victims

Seattle's African-American community, with many strong roots in Louisiana and Mississippi and other parts of the South, has organized several efforts to help hurricane victims.

"Roots" picnic

The annual "Roots" family picnic is 10 a.m.-6 p.m. tomorrow in Seattle's Gas Works Park. A special focus this year will be raising money through the "Hurricane Katrina Fund — Roots." Donations are being accepted at any Wells Fargo Bank branch.

"Let's Do Something"

A benefit concert by local gospel singers, will be 6 p.m. Monday at The Citadel Church, 4200 S. Othello St., Seattle. Proceeds will go to World Vision.

Radio-Thon fund-raiser

Sponsored by Seattle Medium newspaper, KRIZ, KZIZ and KYIZ radio stations; checks payable to CBEC can be sent to P.O. Box 22047, Seattle, WA 98122 or dropped off at 2600 S. Jackson St., Seattle.

In Seattle and across the nation, the arts community has responded to help those affected by Hurricane Katrina:

• At Bumbershoot, which runs through Monday, donation boxes for the Hurricane Katrina Victim Relief Fund will be located throughout the Seattle Center's grounds. Donations will go to the Red Cross and Task Force One in the Louisiana and Mississippi areas.

• The Issaquah Concert for Hurricane Relief will be held Tuesday from 6-8:30 p.m. at the Issaquah Community Center, 301 Rainier Blvd. S., Issaquah. The concert, featuring Jeff Carolus, Tracy Alan Moore and Rising Sun, White, the Beatniks, and the Alan White All Star Jam Band, is sponsored by the city of Issaquah and Music Aid Northwest (www.musicaidnorthwest.com). Donations will be collected.

• Big Picture will hold two benefit screenings of "The Big Easy," the 1987 Dennis Quaid film set in New Orleans. One will be held at Big Picture Seattle, 2505 First Ave., Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. (206-256-0566), and the other at Big Picture Redmond, Redmond Town Center, Thursday at 8:30 p.m. (425-556-0566). Admission is a $10 minimum donation. Proceeds from ticket and bar sales will go to the American Red Cross Hurricane Katrina relief effort.

• The Blues BBQ, to be held Sept. 11 at the New Tulalip Amphitheatre, will include Curtis Salgado, Duffy Bishop, Nicole Fournier and Lee Oskar. Tickets, $20 for reserved seats and $15 for general admission, are available at the Tulalip Casino, 10400 Quil Ceda Blvd., Tulalip (206-628-0888 or www.ticketmaster.com; for information, www.tulalipamphitheatre.com).

• Actor and Mississippi resident Morgan Freeman helped organize an online auction to raise funds for disaster relief. The auction, which began yesterday at www.charityfolks.com, runs through Sept. 16. Proceeds from the auction, which includes movie memorabilia, will go to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.

• Jerry Lewis' telethon for the Muscular Dystrophy Association will feature celebrity appeals for donations for hurricane victims in its first and final four hours. The annual Labor Day broadcast airs on KCPQ Monday from 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Proceeds will go to the Salvation Army.

• "Katrina: The Northwest Responds" will air live on KCTS on Tuesday from 7:30-9 p.m. KCTS and KOMO have partnered to present the fund-raising telethon. The broadcast will be co-anchored by Enrique Cerna, executive producer and host of "KCTS Connects," and Kathi Goertzen, KOMO news anchor. Scheduled guests include University of Washington President Mark Emmert; representatives of the American Red Cross of King and Kitsap Counties; and local residents who have family and friends in the affected areas.

• BET has partnered with the National Urban League and the American Red Cross to present a telethon Sept. 9 to benefit victims of Hurricane Katrina. Scheduled performers include Russell Simmons, Chris Rock, Wynton Marsalis, Master P, Juvenile and David Banner. At 6 p.m., the network will show a special edition of "106 & Park: BET's Top 10 Live," followed by the telethon at 7:30 p.m., which runs until 10 p.m.